A rare axillary artery branching variation: case report in a Brazilian cadaver

Knowledge of vascularization is essential for surgical planning and interventional procedures in the axillary region. The axillary artery gives off branches supplying the shoulder, thoracic wall, and scapula. It then continues as the brachial artery, which furnishes branches to the arm and elbow. Minor variations in these branches are common. However, dissection of a formalin-fixed right upper limb revealed an axillary artery that bifurcated into a superficial brachial artery, which did not give off any branches, and a posterior trunk, that gave rise to all the branches typically originating from the third part of the axillary artery and the brachial artery, including the subscapular artery, the humeral circumflex arteries, the deep brachial artery, and the collateral ulnar arteries. This rare vascular arrangement has not been previously described in Brazil. Awareness of these variations may prevent diagnostic errors and injuries during surgeries.